Vinicius Cantuaria

When: 3/19/08
Where: Dakota
Who: Vinicius Cantuaria (guitar, vocals), Michael Leonhart (trumpet, synthesizer, percussion), Nanny Assis (percussion), Dende (percussion), ??? (drums; not his usual drummer, Adriano Santos, but I didn't catch the name)

Music of delicacy and understatement and moonlight. More percussion than I've seen on stage since the Global Drum Project, but handled softly, with palms and fingertips and brushes. Brazilian singer/songwriter/guitarist Cantuaria moves from song to song with no chatter or introduction: "The Bridge," "Cubanos Postizos" (featuring Leonhart's trumpet), an exquisite "Corcovado." The audience is rapt and relaxed.

We think they're singing/saying goodnight in Portuguese (boa noite) but they keep playing; they're enjoying this as much as we are. Which often happens at the final set on the final night, my favorite time to go.



Photos by John Whiting.